The Kid
by amy.ward.906
Summary: AU takes place at the end spins off from there. Albrecht was only grazed by the bullet and Top Dollar didn't die. Shows another side to the vicious killer.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Crow. **

**A/N: Top Dollar was portrayed as a total ass, but what if there was another side shown of who he was?**

**A/N: Brandon Lee RIP**

"He's in critical condition," the EMT said.

"Okay let's get him loaded up and over to the hospital," replied his partner. As they loaded him into the ambulance and a cop hit the back to give them the signal to drive off, a girl showed up.

"Officer, where's that ambulance going?"

"St Vincent's Kid," the officer said. "Why?" But before the cop could blink, the girl had taken off running. She got to the hospital a few minutes later soaking wet (it had started raining again). Stopping at the hospital entrance trying to catch her breath, she went inside.

Just then she saw a couple of hospital employees taking the man into the elevator up to the 5th floor. She waited a few minutes before following. As she got up there and found the man's room, she noticed a cop standing outside. She debated what to do, but as she stood there thinking about her options, the cop got in the elevator and headed down to the basement. '_Probably for donuts and coffee' _the girl thought. She couldn't believe her luck.

She high tailed it into the room and sat in a chair next to the bed. Looking at him, she almost cried. He looked so helpless. She knew he could make it through anything, but this? She was worried. She reached out and held his hand, giving it a heartfelt squeeze, being careful of the IV. Leaning over, she rested her head on her other arm and looked at him

"Hey!"


	2. Chapter 2

Albrecht was just cleared by the doctor on duty. He was lucky the wound looked worse than it was, turned out the bullet only grazed him. Having to keep his arm in a sling for the next week was gonna suck big time though. Another suck factor was that was on desk duty for a month, no thanks to that dickhead of a superior. He should count his blessings he wasn't fired. Hey, he caught Top Dollar, and he could put him away with all the evidence they had. He had almost got Sara killed, the bastard.

Hmmm, Sara, she was a good kid. It seemed she was patching things up with her mom, and her mom was going to get the help she needed. He was going to get Top Dollar put away; he owed it to Eric, Shelly, and Sara.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Are you all set to go?" his partner asked him.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go check on Top Dollar first."

"But Albrecht, he unconscious in the ICU," his partner said.

"Yeah, but …" he trailed off.

"One of those things?" his partner questioned.

"I owe it to Sara."

"That kid?"

"Yeah."

"How's she doing?"

"Better."

"How about I go get a few things taken care of at the station? I'll come back … in about an hour?"

"Yeah." His partner took off and he headed up to ICU. When he got up there, he didn't see the cop. Damn! The idiot probably wen to the cafeteria for some donuts and coffee. He was definitely going to get an earful. Oh well, he went into the room to make sure the prisoner was secure. That was when he saw a girl sitting in a chair, with her head on her arm, holding Top Dollar's hand. Who was this girl?

"Hey!"


	3. Chapter 3

She was just looking at him, trying not to cry when she heard a voice.

"Hey!"

She looked up. Damn, it was a cop. She didn't have anything against cops. They were okay in her opinion, but this one was looking at her like she'd done something wrong.

"What?"

"What are you doing up here kid?"

"What's it to you?"

"This area is off limits."

"Didn't see a sign."

Hell this girl had a mouth on her. From the look of the girl, she didn't seem to care for authority. So, he decided to stop yelling at her, and try to treat her like an equal.

"How about you tell me why you're here if I tell you why I'm here?"

The girl looked at him, trying to see if he was lying. Seeing nothing but truthfulness etched into his face, she stated, "Fine."

"Albrecht."

The girl just looked at him. "That's my name, Albrecht."

"Cari."

"Nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand. She shook it quickly and let go.

"Well I'm here to check on the prisoner."

"I'm here to see my brother."

"You're in the wrong room.

"Huh?"

"Top Dollar here-

"Michael," she said interrupting him.

"What?"

"Don't call him that, his name is Michael. Michael Sloan. Top Dollar is that stupid name some street thugs gave him."

"Really? And how do you know that?"

"'Cause I'm his sister."

Albrecht gave a look of surprise.

"Cari Sloan at your service."


	4. Chapter 4

Albrecht just looked at her in shock. "I didn't know Top – Michael had another sister."

Cari just looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean another?"

"Well that girl – what's her name – Myca?"

Cari just snorted. "She's not his sister, just some sick girlfriend that said she was his half-sister. I think she got off on that incest type stuff. It made her feel kinky or something. I thought it was gross." She said, with a look of disgust on her face.

Albrecht had to agree. "It sounds gross."

"Yeah tell me about it."

Albrecht pulled up and chair and sat beside her. "So he's your brother?" he asked, still having a hard time believing it.

"Yeah, he's been taking care of me since Mom died."

"What about your dad?"

"Took off when I was a baby."

Albrecht gave her a look of sympathy. Cari caught it and could tell he was gonna say something. She just shrugged before he could open his mouth. "Don't care anyway. Mom said he was a jerk to begin with." An awkward silence filled the room for a moment.

"So…is Michael in trouble?"

Albrecht wanted to lie to the girl, but looking at her, he knew he had to tell her the truth.

"Yeah he is."

"It's bad, isn't it?"

"Big time, kid."

Cari looked at her brother, her lower lip trembling, taking deep breaths, trying not to cry.

"Look kid, I gotta take off," Albrecht said standing up.

"Yeah I should probably …" Cari said, letting her words hang in the air, not wanting to leave. Albrecht's heart went out to the girl, just like it had went out to Sara.

"How about you spend the night here?"

"Really? Is that okay?" Cari asked, not believing her ears.

"Sure, I'll let the cop outside know it's cool."

"Thanks."

"I'll come back in the morning to check on you."

Cari nodded and Albrecht left.

"You really stepped in it this time brother." Cari said, looking at Michael before once again resting her head on her arm and looking at him, then drifting off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thoughts are in italics.**

**A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story so far. Sorry if it is taking me a while to post chapters. The ideas are coming kind of slow, plus I have another story I am working on right now. Please be patient.**

About 8 am the next morning, Albrecht stopped back at the hospital and headed back up to the ICU to check on Cari and Top Dollar.

No, Michael…hell, he was still Top Dollar to him. As he got off the elevator, he noticed Cari curled up asleep in a chair with a hospital issued blanket tucked in around her. He wondered what happened, and why she wasn't in the room with her brother. As he approached the guard outside the door, the guard noticing the look on Albrecht's face, stood up and started explaining.

"She was removed from the room last night."

"Why? I gave her clearance to be in there!"

"Not my fault Detective, Top Dollar almost died last night. The doctor and nurses had her removed."

"Then why-

"By the time they got him stable again, poor thing had already fallen back asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake her."

Albrecht just looked at the girl. He walked over to her knowing he had to wake her up.

Shaking her gently he said, "Cari, rise and shine."

"Mmph…," her eyes slowly opening, "Albrecht?"

"Yeah, morning kid."

_Is it morning already?_

"What time is it?" Cari asked, slowly stretching, trying to shake the sleep from her brain.

"A little after 8."

"Is Michael alright?"

_This girl doesn't waste any time._

"They got him stabilized."

"Can I …

"Sure go ahead," Albrecht said, knowing she wanted to go see her brother.

Cari went back in the room and resumed her normal vigil spot at his side. Albrecht stood in the doorway, lost in thought. With all this monster had done, all the pain he had caused, how could he have a sister that loved him so much?

Did she know what he had done over the years? What horrendous crimes he had committed? Was she aware of his criminal activity? Was she involved in any of it?

And most important…what was going to happen to her now?


	6. Chapter 6

_Previously: With all this monster had done, all the pain he had caused, how could he have a sister that loved him so much? And most important…what was going to happen to her now?_

Cari sat with her brother for almost a half-hour before Albrecht took her down to the cafeteria for some breakfast. As they sat there, Cari just picked at her food

"Do you think he's going to wake up soon," Cari asked Albrecht.

"Wish I knew, but I ain't no doctor kid."

After they had finished eating, they went back upstairs. As they entered Top Dollar's room, the saw a doctor looking at his chart. The doctor looked up and saw the girl with Albrecht and approached them.

"Detective Albrecht, my name is Dr. Ross," he said extending his hand. Albrecht shook it.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Cari asked.

"Sorry young lady, I cannot disclose that information-

"It's okay Doc, she's his sister." Albrecht said, cutting in.

"His vitals are improving," Dr. Ross said to Cari before looking at Albrecht. "Can I talk to you out in the hall Detective?"

Albrecht nodded as he and the doctor exited the room, while Cari went back to sit near her brother.

_Outside the room –_

"How is her Doc, really?"

"His vitals are improving like I said, but it's going to be a couple of weeks before he is full recovered. Maybe even a month."

"It's that bad, huh?"

"With the rain that night and his injuries, he's developed pneumonia."

Albrecht stood there listening to what Dr. Ross said. So Top Dollar wasn't going anywhere for a while. What was he gonna do with Cari?

"The young lady in there, you said was his sister?"

"Yeah that's Cari."

"Is there anyone I can call to come get her?"

Albrecht shook his head. "According to her, she doesn't have any family other than her brother."

"I'll make a call to Children's Services then."

Albrecht nodded. He didn't want Cari in some foster home, but in the eyes of the law there wasn't any other choice. Dr. Ross left to make the call and Albrecht went to explain things to Cari. He didn't think it was going to go well.


	7. Chapter 7

_1 ½ months later…_

45 days. That's how long she had been here. Stuck in some foster home with 4 other kids. The kids weren't too bad though, as they pretty much kept to themselves. But the foster parents sucked in her opinion. They kept telling her what to do (as most parents do), and they acted like real parents, giving her hugs and whatnot. It was weird.

Okay hugs were cool and stuff, but they felt wrong not coming from her brother. She felt like she was betraying him in some way. Plus these people wanted her to call them Mom and Dad! Were they nuts? They were her temporary caregivers, nothing more.

And to top it all off, she wasn't even allowed to see Michael. Some load of crap about an on-going investigation. Also being around him was damaging to her well-being. At least that's what her social worker said. Sitting in her room, she thought back to the last time she saw Albrecht.

_Flashback …_

_Albrecht had just re-entered the room after talking to Dr. Ross._

"_So he's gonna be okay right?"_

"_Yes he is. He's just got pneumonia."_

"_What else did the doctor say?" Cari could tell that her brother's health status was not all they had talked about._

"_He's gonna call Children's Services." _

_Cari figured as much. Since her brother was her only living relative, she basically had nowhere else to go, what with him in the hospital and all._

"_So I'm going to be put in a group home or something, huh?"_

_Albrecht nodded._

"_Do you think they will still let me see him?"_

"_Don't see any reason why not."_

_About half an hour later a social worker showed up and placed Cari Sloan in foster care._

_End Flashback…_

If she knew that being placed in the system would suck this much, she would have took off or something. She just wanted to see her brother. But that obviously wasn't going to happen


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Crow**

**A/N: RIP Brandon Lee**

**A/N: Okay readers, this story is about half-way done. I would just like to say thanks so much for hanging on with me while I write it. Also a big thank you for the long wait between chapters. But honestly would it kill you to leave a review? LOL…no seriously, just one PLEASE!**

**A/N: Read it, Love it, Review it!**

_Detroit County Jail…_

Two weeks. He had been in here two weeks. 14 days. Each day slowly ticking away since he had been released from the hospital. His trial was set for 1 month from now. It wasn't going to be much of a trial, since he was pleading guilty. It was more of a chance for the prosecution to tell the jury his crimes and spin the bloodshed and mayhem into words. If he was lucky he'd get the death penalty. More than likely he wouldn't though.

"Top Dollar you got a visitor," a guard yelled interrupting his thoughts.

He was led to the bullet proof glass and sat down.

"Top Dollar, behind bars at last."

"What in the hell do you want Albrecht? Come to gloat?"

"No actually that was just a bonus. I was just wondering how she was doing."

"She? Who are you talking about?"

"Cari hasn't been to see you yet?"

"How do you know about her?"

"I saw her at the hospital when you were brought in."

"Is she okay?"

"Haven't seen her in over a month. I thought she would have visited you the minute you got here."

"Nope, she hasn't been here. If you don't believe me check the logs."

"I actually do believe you. Now my question is why would you do all this and risk getting caught, when you got someone who looks up to you so much?"

"'Cause I care about her."

"Yeah it shows."

"I had my reasons okay?"

"What would those reasons be?"

"You'll find out at the trial."

Albrecht had heard enough, but just as he was about to leave-

"Detective?" Top Dollar asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could you make sure she's okay?"

"Sure."

"Thank you."

Albrecht could tell he actually meant it.

"And tell her Michael said hi."

Albrecht nodded and left and Top Dollar was put back in his cell.


End file.
